Kids' Corner: Beyond the baby blues Pt 2

by Alissa Willard

According to the Center for Disease Control, postpartum depression is something millions of women suffer symptoms of every year.

However, there are help and services available.

"I didn't seek help for it. But I don't think that's what other people should do in these situations," said Jenna Frick who after the birth of her first child, experienced postpartum depression first hand.

She says she could have used extra support. This led her to become a doula, which is a trained non-medical professional who provides physical, emotional and informational support to a mother before, during and after childbirth.

"Sometimes I’m doing things in their home like loading the dishwasher or I’m helping with breast feeding or bottle feeding. Or maybe it was emotionally hard for them and they really just need someone to sit there and listen and validate their feelings and not try and fix everything," she said.

When postpartum depression may be an issue for a client, she's there to pick up on it.

She says, "When you're going through it sometimes you might not be able to pick up on how things are and so sometimes it's important to have something there to see it, like a partner or doula."

A big struggle Jenna says she sees with PPD is social media.

“They see other mothers and they think if they can do it then why can't I? And then if they are having those feelings they're kind of scared to admit it," she says.

In hopes of possibly prevent PPD some women are turning to a more homeopathic method she provides, placenta encapsulation; the ingestion of the placenta after being steamed, dehydrated, ground, and placed into pills.

Jenna says, "It’s not something that I sought out to do but people want this service."

There isn't scientific proof to back up the claims but Jenna says many women are willing to do anything to prevent postpartum depression.

Something Jenna feels could also help prevent PPD or make the experience easier, simply better understanding.

"Here in the U.S. Most women don't get paid maternity leave. A lot of times they go back to work after 6 weeks, sometimes even sooner and that's really not a lot of time to recover and there's not a lot of focus on how to help moms."

Whether it's help from a medical professional or services like her own, she says she encourages women to reach out and end the shame.

"A lot of times when I explain to people what I do they say, oh I wish I’d had that when I was pregnant and after I had my baby."

If you or someone you know may be experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression, there are many other resources to seek help.